You’ve probably already learned about drugs in programs at school and from your parents. Ever since you were a kid, you were told to "just say no." You also likely see all kinds of legal drugs advertised on TV and in magazines. You may think you’re getting a mixed message. The truth is all drugs—legal and illegal—can be abused. So, stay safe with prescriptions your doctor has given you by always following the instructions for how to use the medicine. When it comes to illegal drugs, however, there’s a lot more to consider.

As a teenager, you’re trying out all sorts of new things. You’re making new friends, learning more about yourself, and you have more freedom than you used to. This might contribute to your own curiosity when it comes to drugs (the non-prescription and illegal kinds). It’s important that you are aware of the serious and harmful effects drugs can have on your body.

Check out this graph for more detailed information on the health effects of illegal drugs.

The most commonly abused drugs for teens today include:

Pharmies. Today, many of the drugs that are abused by teens aren't shipped in from South America in mass quantities, they aren't sold by sketchy drug dealers, and they aren't even illegal. These are the drugs that your friend has a prescription for, with seemingly unlimited refills. These are the pills that you can buy off your neighbor for five dollars. These are pharmaceuticals (remember all those ads you’ve been seeing and hearing?).

• Drugs like Ritalin®, Adderall®, Xanax®, and Oxycontin® are being abused all over college campuses. A common misconception among users is that these drugs aren't harmful, because they are "legal" and because doctors say it's okay. Keep in mind that a doctor weighs a lot of factors when writing a prescription for drugs like these, and when taken in large quantities by people who don't need them, prescription drugs can be very harmful.
• The ADHD-prescribed drugs like Ritalin and Adderall are sometimes swallowed in pill form or crushed up and snorted at parties for a high that resembles cocaine. Over time, these drugs can cause serious effects like paranoia, anxiety, irregular heartbeat, headaches, and even hallucinations. Also, if abused, over taken or mixed with other drugs, snorting or ingesting Adderral or Ritalin can lead to coma and even death.
• Abusing painkillers and mood-altering drugs like Xanax is equally as common, and equally as dangerous. If you develop a dependency, you can experience serious physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms, including seizures, impaired concentration, and muscle cramps. Overuse will lead to coma or death, and there is an acute danger when mixed with alcohol.
• Oxycontin use is on the rise across America. Oxycontin is a seriously strong prescription painkiller usually prescribed to treat cancer patients. Oxycontin is similar to morphine and in the same family as heroin, which means that it is extremely addictive.

Ecstasy, also known as E, is another commonly abused drug. Ecstasy, made from MDMA, but often corrupted on the street with codeine, caffeine, ephedrine and ketamine, is an extremely popular drug. There are lots of myths out there surrounding Ecstasy, but the truth is that it has serious effects on your body. Ecstasy use, also known as "rolling," interferes with your brain's release of serotonin, which regulates your mood. That’s why it gives users an extreme sense of euphoria. However, this also means that Ecstasy use can cause depression, anxiety and paranoia. Ecstasy causes your body to overheat, become extremely dehydrated (but if you drink too much water while rolling, your brain cells can absorb the water, which will lead to death), jaw clenching, nausea, blurred vision, rapid eye movement, faintness, chills and extreme sweating. It has also been proven to cause long-term memory loss. Because it is a relatively new drug, many of its long-term effects are not known for sure, but it seems that a lot more is done to your brain and body than meets the eye. Also, keep in mind that a pill of Ecstasy can have any number of other drugs and toxins in it—and you never know what they are. Isn't that a frightening thought?

Marijuana, or pot, weed, ganja and any other number of nicknames, is a popular drug among teenagers. It is a green plant that is dried and smoked in joints and blunts (like a cigar) or in other types of paraphernalia, like bongs and glass bowls. Sometimes marijuana is cooked, often in brownies, and eaten, or brewed in tea. Although marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the US, most people don’t realize how harmful it is. The main ingredient in marijuana is THC, which causes your brain to react and produces the feeling of being “high” or “stoned.” Marijuana causes short-term problems including memory loss, learning problems, difficulty thinking and solving problems, distorted perception, loss of coordination and increased heart rate. With extended use, these problems can continue and become long-term. Did you ever hear the term “burn out”? That comes from all of the negative effects that start to happen and make consistent marijuana users, or “potheads,” become “ditzy,” “lazy” or “confused.” Also, smoking marijuana is bad for your lung health, just like smoking cigarettes. Marijuana use contributes to developing lung cancer and other lung diseases. It also causes a cough and breathing problems. Many “potheads” and pot smokers don’t believe that marijuana is addictive. However, if you smoke marijuana enough, you will begin to feel withdrawal symptoms like sleeplessness and irritability and crave marijuana to get over these feelings.

Whippets, AKA nitrous oxide, AKA gas anesthetics. Often times whippets are "done" by filling a balloon with nitrous oxide from a small cartridge or a tank, and inhaling. Although they give that giddy feeling you can experience at the dentist's office, whippets may also lead to loss of consciousness, mouth and throat injury, and long-term nerve damage. You've heard people say that whippets "kill brain cells." Well, they do deprive your brain of oxygen (the same thing that happens when you are strangled) and this can cause brain damage and even death.

Cocaine has been abused by teens and adults much longer than Ecstasy and pharmies have been around. That means that it is easier to tell what the long-term effects of cocaine use are. First of all, cocaine is highly addictive. Once cocaine use becomes a habit, it is very difficult to fully stop. Also, because it is snorted or "blown," cocaine can destroy your nasal passages, leading to discomfort and serious sinus problems. Paranoia, aggression and depression are all common characteristics of cocaine users. Most importantly, though, every time that you use cocaine, you run the risk of having a heart attack and killing yourself.

Heroin abuse is on the rise. You might think that heroin is a totally serious drug just for junkies, and that you’ll never even see it. But you shouldn’t be so sure. Heroin may be injected, smoked or snorted. If you think that by snorting or smoking heroin, you are using it to a “lesser degree,” you are wrong. Any way it’s taken, heroin is still highly addictive and has the same negative effects on your health. Heroin use is associated with serious health concerns. Every time you use heroin, you run the risk of suffering a fatal overdose. Also, your veins may collapse through injection and you can easily contract infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis through shared needles. Heroin is highly addictive and can overtake a user’s life. A tolerance develops to heroin, which means that as you continue to take it, your body needs more and more heroin in order to get a “high.” If you even try heroin just once, you run the risk of becoming addicted to it and that means trouble.

Methamphetamine, AKA Meth or speed, is a stimulant that triggers your brain to speed up. Meth is highly addictive and can cause brain damage. Meth has been linked to problems with the nervous system and Parkinson’s disease in adults who have continually abused it. At first, the drug will wake you up and give you a lot of energy. It will also cause irritability, insomnia, confusion, tremors, anxiety and aggressiveness.

LSD, or acid, is a hallucinogenic drug. Often times teens will take acid and experience “trips,” characterized by hallucinations and a distorted perception of reality. It comes as a tablet, liquid or capsule and is swallowed. The liquid can be added to a small square of paper and dissolved on the tongue for effect. This is called a “dose.” You never know what is going to happen when you take LSD; it all depends on your body and mind. LSD will cause specific physical effects such as increased body temperature, dilated pupils, increased heart and blood pressure, sweating, tremors and insomnia. LSD will also cause your mind to become confused and will affect your perception of sounds and colors. It can cause fear and panic if you are not expecting such feelings. LSD has the potential to cause severe and terrifying thoughts and extreme paranoia about death and insanity. LSD use can trigger psychological disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. Although LSD is not considered addictive, it’s important to realize that it has the potential to cause severely disturbing experiences when taken. Flashbacks later on in life often occur for people who have taken LSD. These are characterized by random flashes of LSD-like experiences and feelings later on, when no drugs have been taken.

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Introduction
Smoking
Alcohol
Drugs